Underframe for well cars



Dec. 25, 1928., 1,696,332

w. M. SHEEHAN UNDERFRAME FOR WELL CARS Filed June 25, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOJ? I William M Sims/1m 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. M.SHEEHAN;

Filed June 25 1926 Imam 701 MY/Idm M Shea/701i UNDERFRAHE F011 WERE]CARS I nmzs, 1928.

Errrs.

Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,696,332 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. SHEEHAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO COMMONWEALTHSTEEL COMPANY,-OF GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

UNDERFRAME FOR WELL CARS.

Application filed June 25,

My invention relates to a newend useful improvement in railway rollingstock and more particularly to a. unitary cast metal well or depressedcenter car.

In an underframe for-Well cars of this type, it is desirable to make thewell or depressed portion throughout the maximum percentage of thelength of the car and limit the platforms at either end to the minimum.The purpose of this can be readily seen whenit is understood that thedepressed portionis the useful load carrying surface and the raisedplatforms are practically waste space since they are seldom used. Thistype of car is used for the transportation of plate glass boiler plate,large machinery, and the like. The depressed portion is required toreduce the height of the loaded car to provide overhead clearance inpassage under viaducts and in tunnels. It hasv heretofore been necessaryin the manufacture of fabricated well cars to make the well floor morethan the minimum allowed height from the rails to obtain the necessarystrength. This is due to regulaw tions'governing rail clearance andsince the purpose of well cars is to recluse the floor height, thisfeature is ob ectionable.

The principal object of my invention is to provide aone-piece integrallyformed frame for a well or depressed center car.

Another object is to proportion the ear and arrange lts necessaryequipment to provide'the maximum proportion of available carryingsurface, that is, to provide a Well of maximum length and end platformsof minimum length.

A further object is to provide body holsters "with offset centers toallow the brake equipment to be located nearer the truck center and toshorten the distance from the truck center to the end sill of the car;

A still further object is to provide in the integral frame means forcarrying and protecting the brake cylinder, the air reservoir, and thetriple -valve.

With the foregoingand other objects in view, my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts,hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccom panying drawings, in which 1926. Serial No. 118,550.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal center sectional view.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1,illustrating the diminished size of the side sill over the trucks.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken on line 55 of Figure1, illustrfiting the full depth portion of the side s1 Figure 6 is anenlarged cross sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure 1 through thebolster.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure1, illustrating the triple valve supporting bracket.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figure1, illustrating the brake cylinder supporting bracket.

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figurel, illustrating the air reservoir supporting bracket.

Figure 10 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 1010 of Figure 1,illustrating the brake lever fulcrum.

The numeral 1 in the drawings indicates the end sills of the car whichare preferably oliannel shaped in cross section. 2 are side sills. Bodybolsters 3 of box-shape cross section connect side sills 2 a shortdistance from the end sills. The central portions of the body bolstersare offset toward the center of the ear for purposes hereinafterreferred I the car from either bolster and recurved parallel to the endportions. This depressed center is the main load carrying platform ofthe car.

A plurality of I-beam cross members 5 are equidistantly spacedthroughout the depressed portion. This design divides the floor of thedepressed portion into similar panels and has its obvious advantages incasting since the same care arrangement is used throughout, thusobtaining substantial simplification.

Upstanding brace lugs 6 are provided at either end of the depressedportion on each of draft sills 4 and side sills 2. These members arepreferably cast integrally with the remainder of the car frame and areused to brace and block the load carried on the depressed portion. Draftsills 4 are adapted to transmit the longitudinal forces applied to thecar, and to properly perform this function the curved portions are onarcs of large radii and maintain their full depth throughout theirlength. Side sills 2, however, are adapted to merely support thevertical load and, as shown at 8 in Figures 3 and 4, their depth isreatly diminished at the upper ends of their curved portions to rovideclearance for the truck frames not shown).

' It is desirable to use trucks that swivel on their side pieces, thoughthe frame will accommodate center swiveling trucks. In the presentillustrations, two center plates 10 are provided for each truck.

In a car of this type, it is desirable to have independent body brakerigging for each of the trucks. This re uires the utili zation of acertain amount 0 space between the bolster and the end sill. To providethe space necessary and still retain the minimum size for the endplatforms, the bolsters 3, as hereinbefore mentioned, are offset at'11toward the center of the car. The top flanges of the bolster and theadjacent flange of the draft sill are projected slightly as indicated bythe numeral 12 to provide a bracket for the support of the brake clinder (not shown). This arrangement ocates the brake cylinder muchnearer to the truck center than is ordinarily feasible due to the offsetportions 11 of the bolsters. It is located entirely below the floor ofthe car platform and above the truck brake connections, thus receivingsubstantial protection from the surrounding frame. The air brakereservoir and the triple valve, neither of which are illustrated, are

rovided for similarly by brackets formed y extending the flanges on theend sill and on the draft sill 4. Bracket 13 is provided on the endsills adjacent one of the draft sills and brackets 14 are formed on thedraft sills to carry the air reservoir and triple valve. These memberswhich constitute the body foundation brake also are arranged to liebelow the platform floor and over the truck brake ri ging and to receivethe fullest protection rom the surroundin frame.

Openin 15 is provided in end sill 1 to fulcrum t e hand brake lever, thetop flange of the end sill acting as a top bearing and the lower flangeacting as the lower hearing. The brake operating chain (not shown) whichis connected to the hand brake lever maximum overhead clearance.

Cover plates, which in this type of car have previously been necessaryto reinforce the various members and tie them together, are done awaywith. This eliminates unnecessary weight and the unitary constructionpermits strengthening where necessary without requiring excess materialsat portions where it is not needed. Strengthening at critical points inunitary cast metal construction of the type contemplated in thisdisclosure is accomplished by making the members slightly heavier wherenecessary.

The omission of the outwardly extending lower flange on the side sillsbetween bolsters provides sufficient rail clearance so that the car maybe used in third rail territories even though the floor is the minimumheight spec'r fied for ordinary use. At the same time, the full width ofthe floor is retained and there is nothing in the construction toprevent loading the full length and width of the dcpressed portion.

The bolster and body foundation brake arrangements are such that the endplat forms are shorter relatively than was previously possible in thistype of car, and the 'well portion correspondingly longer.

It is to be understood that minor changes in the size, form, andconstruction of the various parts of my device may be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described, without departing fromthe spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A car having an integrally formed frame including end sills, sidesills, and ceuter sills, and trucks ada ted to carry said frame, saidside sillsbeing diminished in depth over said trucks to provideclearance.

2. A well car including end sills, a longitudinal draft sill ofsubstantially uniform depth throughout its length, said draft sill beingdepressed intermediate its ends, and side sills depressed similarly tosaid draft sill, the depressed portions of said side sills being ofgreater depth than their ends beyond said depressed portions.

3. A well car frame including transverse end sills, longitudinal centerand side sills,

said longitudinal being depressed intermediate their'ends, and endportions on said side sills being of diminished depth; I

4, In a car frame,-an end sill, a'bolster, and a center silltherebetween, and a bracket formed integrally with and at the junctionof said center sill and bolster adapted to support a brake cylinderwithi'n'thc confines of said members. a I e 5. Ina'car frame, an endsill, a draft sill, and a bracketformed integrally with and atthejunction of said sills, said bracket being adapted to support an airreservoir.

6. A car fralne lncludmg an end sill, a

bolster, a draft sill, and a bracket on said draft sill adaptedtosupporta brake mechanism. within the yvertical limits of the frame.

7. Anintegrally forrned well car including end sills, longitudinalcenter and side sills, said longitudinal members being depressedintermediate their ends, and brackets at the ends of saiddepressedwportion I adapted to brace a load,

1 sills intermediate their ends, and brake ful-' tudinall 8. Anintegrally formed well car frame having side sills, depressions in saidside with said 2 end, sill, draft sill, and their 10. A well carcomprising a plurality of integrally formed spaced longitudinal memberscurved downwardly intermediate their ends to forma'depressed loadcarrying platform.

11. A well our comprising a plurality of integrally formed spacedlongitudinal members curved downwardlyintermediate their ends to forinadepressed load carrying'platform, and a pluralityv of transverse membersin said depressed portion. f

12. An' integrally formed car frame including end sills, side sills, andcenter sills, said] side and center sills being depressed intermediatetheir ends. 1 s

13. A car underframe comprisingan end sill, side sills, and a, bolsteroffset bodily, intermediate its ends, away fromsaid end sill, all ofsaid parts being formed integrally.

14. In a car underframe, longitudinal members, a transverse body bolsteroffsets bodily between its ends, and foundation brake mounting elementsin the space provided by the offsetting of said bolster.

15. In a car underframe, longitudinal members, and a transverse bodybolster having front and rear walls from end to end of the bolster andoffset, intermediate the ends of the bolster, towards the longitudinalcenter of the car.

16. A cast metal frame for a well car including end sills, longitudinalcenter and side sills, said longitudinal sills being depressedintermediate their ends forming a platform, and transverse tiesconnecting said longitudinal members in their depressed portions.

17. A cast metal frame for a Well car including longitudinal center andside sills, said longitudinal sills being depressed intermediate theirends forming a latform, and transverse ties connecting said longitudinalmembers in their depressed portions, said transverse ties beingequidistantly spaced to form a repeated core box arrangement in thecasting of said depressed platform portion.

18. A well car including a frame consisting of end sills, side sills,draft sills, and bolsters, all integrally formed, trucks having brakerigging under each of said bolsters, and brackets formed with said frameadapted to carry the body foundation brake below the top surface of saidframe and above the truck brake rigging.

19. An integrally formed well car frame including an end sill, a sidesill, and a center sill, said side and center sills being depressedintermediate their ends and all of said sills being of greater strengthat critical points and lesser strength at other points.

20. In a well car, a relatively heavy center sill primarily adapted. totransmit pulling and bufiing stresses, and a relatively light loadsupporting side sill of lesser depth adapted to provide rail clearance.

21. In a well car, a side sill having its central portion depressed,inward and outward extending flanges on the top of said side sill, andan ,inwardly extending flange on the lower edge of said side sill.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 22nd day of May,1926.

WILLIAM M. SHEEHAN.

